ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

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Orange County Music Awards "Best Indie Rock Band" of 2005

9 Ball, "Upside Down" - One of Orange County's best rock trios has teamed up with producer Joe Ongie to record one of the finest local releases of the year. Singer-guitarist Tim Nienhuis, drummer Danny Gamboa and bassist-singer Dev Torres released a strong demo EP last year, but the newly released, nine-song "Upside Down" displays the full range of 9 Ball's artistry.

"Upside Down" features beautiful ballads ("How Do You Dream," "Oxygen"), infectious power-pop (the instantly memorable "Gray" and "Love Find You") and propulsive rockers ("Until Forever") that paint a sonic picture of a group as concerned with their song craft as their chops. "Hard Pressed" is the best Toad the Wet Sprocket song that Glen Phillips never wrote, and Fountain Valley-based 9 Ball could well be a kindred spirit of that Santa Barbara outfit with its formidable mix of rock, pop, folk and alternative styles anchored by thoughtful lyrics and fervent vocals.
For more information, visit www.9ballmusic.com.

You might like if you enjoy: Toad the Wet Sprocket, Foo Fighters, Elvis Costello, Crowded House

courtesy of Robert Kinsler, OC Register

OC's nearest things to pop perfection.
In the tradition of The Police, 9 Ball deceptively uses the simplicity of the three-piece rock band to
deliver well-crafted songs. Frontman/guitarist Tim Nienhuis with his true-tone voice and high-hitting melodies made 9 Ball's
solid pop tunes effortless to enjoy. Beautiful chords, the occasional clever time signature, and
drummer Danny Gamboa's furious hi-hat work a la Stewart Copeland made the songs shine and
made 9 Ball fun.

Killarney Star courtesy of Live Magazine

9 Ball's sound has grown
into something rooted in pop but with the force of a modern rock band. Think
of the sonic outcome of a collaboration between Foo Fighters and DADA.

This CD is a must have for music lovers alike. It not only captures the unique lyrical, vocal, and instrumental genious of the band, but also offers a variety of styles. Appealing to the typical rock listener are songs like Upside Down, Until Forever, and Love Find You with their driving rhythms and catchy melodies along with Gray, played in 7 time signature.For fans of pop, there is How Do You Dream, Hard Pressed, and Can't Come Down, with a more relaxed feel.Finding a band with this much versatility is not common, and trust me, they sound great, too!I was a fan the minute I heard their material! Check these guys out...

A Wonderful Accident, January 2, 2005
For starters I should say I've never written a review before - but this album forced me to do it. I am a huge fan of music in general - but the whole Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Keane, Howie Day, Matt Nathanson thing has me pretty entranced here lately - but this album really struck a chord for me (no pun intended)! Not since Nine Days - The Maddening Crowd have I listened to an album and instantly liked each one of the tracks. I'd have to say give it a listen, I found them by accident and one song in I was hooked! They have such a familiar feel - but somehow new in their same right. They're a little more low key than I normally go - and I don't know that I would call them grunge or alternative, but they're good all the same! I hope to hear more from them, and I hope someone else reads this and feels the same way! ~~ Nicole

These guys rock! Great CD! I listen to it all the time- love the lyrics and great guitar licks. Hard Pressed is great, the bridge is awesome. Grey really rocks, Upsidedown is my favorite- a lot of energy in that one! They're great live too! Check 'em out!

Rockin' group! My friend told me about the CD and I haven't stopped listening to it. It has a great combination of rock and pop rock. Tim is a great singer/song writer/guitarist- I checked out his web site- he's played with a lot of great artists. Buy their CD, you'll dig it!

I might be a little bias but your new album kicks ass. Every track on it is worthy. My favs are Oxygen, Hard Pressed & Gray but they are all great songs. Can't wait to hear what your next one is going to sound like.

I'm relistening again as I am writing this. I just can't get enough of this band, "9ball". They are a truly awesome sound in today's market, especially being so-called indie's. The songs weave a masterpiece like a finely knit tapestry of sound for all to enjoy! It's listenable, danceable, and should be pleasing to everyone's musical palete. So much sound from only a trio! I've heard 4-6 piece combos who don't equal this sound!

Each song is it's on stand-alone trophy for "9ball". These guys are fortunate to have found each other! They have both power and soft finese interwined into their musical orchestrations. This shows me they are "all" experts at their chosen instruments. And the songs lyrics all make perfect sense. {And they all play together with a musical blend like Lennon and McCartney, or Rogers and Hammerstein "reborn"!} I would say that FATE meant these guys to be together!

This is also a recording of MAJOR PROPORTIONS! My hat's off to the sound engineer! So many recordings lose the vocals into the music, but this one is done right! The vocals stand out, yet the music is still right there where it needs to be. And in years passed there were so many records/cds coming out of studios that had maybe ONE to THREE good, quality songs that were "padded" with mediorce ones! But I have listened to all the song selections here and I can't really choose "one better than the rest"! I also love the "variety" of styles here. All the "rock" genres are are represented here to one degree or another! I can only imagine the "smiles" on the faces of the crowds that are priviledged to be able to listen and dance to 9ball in person!

DISCLAIMER: I do not know this band other than hearing them here at CDBABY.COM... But being a musician and songwriter myself for many years, and having my own sound studio, I believe in giving CREDIT WHEREVER CREDIT IS DUE! {I would hope for the same in return.} And this band deserves all ther ACCOLADES it can get!!!!!!!!!! I tour alot of online music sites and listen to all kinds of bands/artists. I hear both good and bad and everything in between. But 9ball stands out from the rest like a becon in the night! This is why I was 'moved' to do this review!
I hope it helps this band move from INDIE to SUPER GROUP! I feel sure from their incredible sound that they have all [both individually and collectively} "paid their dues", and NOW THEIR TIME FOR RECOGNITION HAS COME!!!!!!!!

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